Edge-guide for sewing-machines.



W. H. STEDMAN. EDGE GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPBIOAIION FILED APBHI, 1909. V

Patented Nov. 19, 1912 NV 1 as 2% I ENTER? seam stitches.

WILLIAM H. s'rnnivran, or HARTFORD, oonnno'rrour, assrenon rd'rnnnrnnaow MACHINE COMPANY, or rrnn'rron I3ONNECTICUT, A oonronn'rron or-port- .nnorrcu'r.

the following to be a full, clear,'and exact description'of the same, reference being had 1 to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the and letters of reference thereon. 7 The guide of the present invention is defigures signed more especially for sewing machines of the overseaming type and is adapted for use in connection with the presser foot or corresponding element of the machine, said guide being mounted upon the foot and adjustable' laterally thereon withv reference to the direction of the machines feed in order that the distance between the edge of the goods being overseamed and the point of needle penetration may be varied and the depth of the stitch or width of the covered edge controlled.

The object of the invention is to provide a guide of the type described which, though adjustable on its support, presents no opening between itself and the support into .39 which the ragged or frayed edges (usually thread ends) of the goods can draw or catch andinterfere with the feeding of the goods; afurther object being to' provide a guide capable of causingthe said thread ends to lie approximately parallel with the direction of the feed, in advance of the'point at which the overseaming is performed, whereby the thread ends may be effectually covered and bound to the bodyof the goods by the over- For the purposes of illustration, an embodiment of this invention is shown 111C011- nection with an overseaming machine of the 'well known Merrow type.

- In the drawings-Figurel is an end eleva' tion, showing the guide in connection with a partially illustrated overseaming machine;

*Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the needle plate, a portion .of the'presser .foot with the guide mounted thereon and part of the needle orstitch forming mechanism, these elements being viewed approximately from :the opposite direction from which they are vieweduin -Eig. s1'; ,:Eig..3 is a view on an enlargedscale, principally in plan,.showing Specification of Letters Patent. i Application filed April 7, 1909. Serial no. 488,415,

.a'rrr prion EDGE-GUIDE FOR snwrne-mncnmn's.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

with the needle omitted'and the presser foot shank broken' off; Figs. 5 and 6 are, respectively,a front elevation and an underside plan of the'guide. v

Throughout the drawings, like characters of reference denote the same parts.

The number 10 denotes the frame of the machine, 11 the head, 12 the needle plate, 13 the needle plate support, 14: the needle, 15

" the needle carrier, 16 the presser foot and 17 the presser foot lifter. The presser foot 16 is normally forced down or toward the needle plate 12by a compression spring (not shown) to cause the footto bear upon the goods or material on the needle plate. The

needle plate 12 has the usual chaining finger 12"*' around which the overseam stitches are formed and from the end of which they slip as the goods are fed forward. The needle carrier 15 is oscillated to cause the needle 14 to reciprocate through the needle slot 12 and to cooperate above and below the needle plate with other stitch forming implements (also not shown) to effect the formation of overseam stitches. The needle plate 12 is provided with one or more feed dog openings' 12 through which the goods are engaged bya suitable feed dog to effect their feeding. The construction and arrangement of the various elements and mechanisms thus far mentioned (excepting the guide) are of the well known Merrow type and needno detailed illustration or description.

The guide is denoted as a whole by the number 20. Itis provided with two limbs 21 and 22 integral with and substantially at right angles to each other. It is adjustably secured to the upper side of the presser foot 16, beneath the head of a screw 18, the body of which screw passes through an opening 23 in the supporting limb 21 of the guide, and has its threaded end in a tapped hole in the presser foot. The adjustment of the guide is laterally of the direction of the machines feedand such adjustment is permissible by reason. of the elongated sha e of the screw opening 23. The limb 21 is cut 50 and the needle out or reduced on its under side from a point somewhat removed from its junction with the limb 22 to its free end and to a depth approximately equal to the thickness of the presser foot 16, forming a shoulder 24 and abearing face, denoted by the number 25.

When the guide is in place in the machine,

it occupies a position (as seen from the end of the machine) in advance of the needle,

and when viewed from the front of the machine that port-ion of the guide including the surface 25 and the limb 22 projects beyond and to the right of the presser foot. The

' surface 25 is preferably approximately in -the plane of the under or bearing surface 16 of the presser foot and the limb 22 extends downwardly at the side of the presser foot and somewhat to the right of the needle.

The limb 22 extends preferably below the 20 upper'surface of theneedle plate 12, and the latter may have an opening or notch 12 to receive the limb.

.The guide 20 being properly adjusted upon the foot to position the limb 22 in a de- 25 sired location at the right of the needle 14-,

the ,goods or material to be overseamed is introduced between the needle plate 12 and the presser foot 16 with the edge of the goods in engagement with the limb 22.

b This limb is the guide for the edge, and

' preferably is of suflicient length to always I extend below the surface of the top of the needle plate even upon the introduction of very thick goods. The goods are so manipu- 5 latedqby the operator of the machine that- "the, edge 'is kept in contact with the limb 22 tlSi tliasaid goods are fed up to the needle, and {Hence a uniform depth of overseam stit'cn 'is mamtained throughout thelength 40 'ofthe' se am. To assist in leading the goods up the needle the face of the limb 22 which is engaged by the goods may be beveled or rounded at the frontedge of the liinb as at 26. i

The surface 25 of the limb 21, when in the plane of the bottom or bearing surface 16' of the presser foot, becomes in reality a part of the said foot and may act as does the foot proper to bear upon the goods between itself plate 12 as best shown in. Fig. 4.

- It will be observed that the opening which may occur between the presser foot and the guide, upon adjustment of the guide relatively to the foot, is between the shoulder 24 and the-adjacent side of the recess in the presser foot, or at the left (as the machine is viewed from the front) of the surface engaged by the edge of the goods, such opening being so far removed from the edge of the goods as to aiford no opportunity for the ragged edge or thread ends 31 to enter and become caught therein, nor can the ragged edge become caught in the angle formed by the junction of the surface 25 and the limb' 22 for the reason that the guide limbs are integral as above set forth;

In some instances the guide may be used upon material having comparatively straight edges, or folded edges, when'there 7 would be littleliability of the catching of p the goods, but oftener the materiallhas a cut edge that is more or less ragged or' has projecting thread ends such as indicated by the number 81, which as they engage the 'guide 20-are brushed back in a direction parallel with the feed, andthe said guide, being just in advance of the point of over seaming, presents the edges for the overseam stitches with the thread ends brushed back (see Fig. 3) in which position they may be 1 readily covered and secured to the body of the goods by the overseam stitches.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letg5 ters Patent, is v 1. In combination with a sewing machine presser foot arranged to bear upon the goods, an edge guide coacting with said presser foot and comprising a single element having a surface for engaging andbearing upon the face of the goods at one side of the goods engaging surface of the presser foot and a surface for engaging-the edge of the goods, and means for securing the guide to the presser foot.

2. In combination with a .sewing machine presser foot, an adjustable edge guide hav- 7 ing two limbs integral with each other, one limb having a surface to engage andbeari as a presser sfoot upon the face of, the goods at one side of the presser foot and the other limb having a surface to engage the edge of the goods, and means for securing the guide to the presser foot.

3. In combination with a sewing machine presser foot, an adjustable edge guide hav-. mg two limbs integral with each' other, one limb being ada ted to be secured to the presser foot an having a surface in 'substantiall the plane of the bearing surface offthe oot, said surface being adaptedto engage the goods and bear as a presser foot thereon and the other, limb being substantially at right angles to said plane, and neans for securing the guide to the presser oot.

4:. Incombination with a sewing machine presser foot, an edge guide adjustably sup-1 ported on the resser foot, having a surface for engaging t e edge of the goods and the opening between the same and the presser foot occasioned. by the adjustment of the guide being at adistance from the plane of the surface engaged by the edge :,of the .goods, and means for securing the guide in adjusted position on the presser foot.

'5. In combination with a sewing machine presser foot, an edge guide adjustably supported by the presser foot, said edge guide having a supporting limb and a guiding limb, the supporting limb projecting beyond the presser foot to position the guiding limb atthe side thereof and having a shoulder between its free end and the guiding limb between which shoulder and the presser foot occurs any opening occasioned by the adjustment of the guide upon the presser foot, and means for securing the guide in adjusted position on the presser foot.

6. In combination with a sewing machine presser foot, an edge guide adjustably supported on the top of the presser' foot, said guide having a guiding limb at substantially right angles to the plane of the bearing surface ofthe presser foot and a supporting limb integral with the guiding limb, cut out on its under face from its free end to a point adjacent the guiding limb to receive the presser foot and form a shoulder near the guiding limb whereby any opening between the presser foot and the guiding limb due to adjustment is formed between the said shoulder and the side of the presser foot, and means for securing the guide to the presser foot.

7. In combination with a sewing machine presser foot, an edge guide adjustably supported on the top of the presser foot, said guide having a guiding limb at substantially right angles to the plane of the bearing surface of the presser foot and a supporting limb integral with the guidin limb, cut out on its under face from its free end to a point adjacent the guiding limb thereby forming a shoulder near the latter and a surface in the plane of the bearing surface of the presser foot, and wherebyany openin between the presser foot and the guiding Iimb, due to adjustment is formed between the said shoulder and the side of the presser foot, and means for securing the guide to the presser foot.

8. In combination, a sewing machine presser foot, an edge guide and a needle plate, the edge guide being distinct from the presser foot and having a surface for engaging and bearing upon the face of the oods in proximity to the edge and a surace extending below the needle plate for engaging the edge of the goods and means ior securing the edge guide to the presscr oot.

9. In combination, a sewing machine presser foot, an edge guide and a needle plate, the edge guide being distinct from the presser foot and having two limbs integral with each other, one limb having a surface to engage the face of the goods in proximity to the edge and one limb having a surface to engage the edge of the goods, the last named limb extending below the needle plate and the needle plate being cut out to receive the said limb and means for securing the edge guide to the presser foot.

' WILLIAM H. STEDMAN. 

